Carnegie Corp. President to Address Grads
Education innovator Canada, St. Joseph University-Beirut rector Fr. Daccache, historian Goodwin, Boston Archbishop Henning also will be honored
BY
THE OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Carnegie Corporation of New York President Dame Louise Richardson, an accomplished higher education leader who heads one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious philanthropic foundations, will address the Boston College Class of 2025 at the University’s 149th Commencement Exercises on May 19.
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., will present Richardson with an honorary degree at the ceremony, which will take place at 10 a.m. in Alumni Stadium, rain or shine.
In addition, the University will present honorary degrees to: educator and social
activist Geoffrey Canada; Salim Daccache, S.J., rector of Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon; historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin; and Archbishop of Boston Richard Henning.
More on the 2025 honorary degree recipients:
Dame Louise Richardson
A native of Ireland who served for seven years as the first female vice chancellor at Oxford University, Richardson became the first female president of Carnegie Corporation of New York in January 2023, assuming leadership of a foundation—founded by industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1911—renowned for establishing and endowing initiatives such as the United States National Research Council, National Bureau of Economic Research, and Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop). Among the organizations awarded grants by Carnegie during her tenure are Press Forward, which supports local news initiatives, and New York City Public Libraries, in part to expand English language
classes popular with immigrants.
In addition, Richardson—the first in her family to attend college—has cultivated a highly productive, groundbreaking career
in academia. For more than three decades, she has researched and written about international terrorism and foreign policy, advocating interdisciplinary approaches to study the political roots of extremism as an alternative to military-led responses.
Former Sen. Casey to Speak at Law Commencement, p. 4
At Oxford, she was lauded for defending freedom of speech, pursuing sustainability, and advancing racial equality. As the first woman principal and vice-chancellor of Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, she recruited students from disadvantaged backgrounds while leading efforts to add a new library, music center, and a medical school, and acquire land for a new campus.
Geoffrey Canada
An education innovator, activist, and
Continued on page 4
Winstons’ Gift Endows Provost/Dean of Faculties Position
BY JACK DUNN
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley will become the inaugural Robert L. and Judith T. Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties through a major gift from longtime Boston College benefactors Bob and Judy Winston. The gift will also establish a permanent fund to support innovative academic programming in or through the Office of the Provost.
Bob Winston, a 1960 graduate, former University trustee, and retired senior vice president of Los Angeles-based mutual fund giant American Funds Distributors, said he made the gift on the 65th anniversary of his graduation out of gratitude to his alma mater and to honor Quigley for his academic leadership, which has helped BC to become one of the world’s leading Jesuit, Catholic universities.
“David Quigley is one of the most effective and respected provosts in higher education,” said Winston. “He is an accomplished educator and supportive provost who has helped the faculty grow professionally, fostered team accomplishment,
and removed silos, while sharing credit. He is an impressive speaker who connects with his audience through his love of history, and a leader whose work in revitalizing the
Core Curriculum and promoting interdisciplinary study has improved the BC educational experience for our students. Judy and I are proud to establish the Winston
Provost and Dean of Faculties Fund in recognition of his achievements on behalf of Boston College.”
Quigley said he was honored to have his position endowed by the Winstons and grateful for the fund in support of academic initiatives that will continue to fuel the innovation and momentum the University has enjoyed in recent decades.
Continued on page 5
3 Romero Scholarship Morrissey College junior is devoted to advocacy.
5 Farewell to the Heights Long-time CSOM faculty member Judy Gordon is retiring.
8 Arts Festival Annual showcase of BC artists set for April 24-26.
Dame Louise Richardson
Bob Winston ’60, shown at left with his wife Judy, called David Quigley (right) “one of the most effective and respected provosts in higher education” and “an accomplished educator” who has “helped the faculty grow professionally.”
photo of quigley by lee pellegrini
Graduate Programs Do Well in Latest U.S. News Rankings
BY JACK DUNN ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Boston College graduate programs experienced strong gains across the board in the latest U.S. News Graduate School rankings, released on Tuesday.
The Connell School of Nursing, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College Law School, the Carroll School of Management, and a number of academic departments within the Morrissey College of Arts and Science all saw significant improvements in the rankings this year, reflecting Boston College’s academic strength and reputation among the nation’s best universities.
The Connell School rose to 14th in the survey of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, a 12-place increase over last year’s ranking. The Master of Science in Nursing program also improved to 26th, an increase of eight places over last year. In the nursing specialties rankings, Connell’s Nursing Anesthesia program improved to 26th overall.
The Lynch School improved to 20th overall this year, a three-spot increase over last year’s rankings. The school also had strong placements among specialties programs, with Student Counseling ranked ninth, Curriculum and Instruction ranked 13th, Elementary Education 16th, and both Education Psychology and Education Policy 20th.
BC Law rose to 25th in the law school rankings, also a three-place improvement over last year. The Law School also performed well in the specialties rankings, placing 12th overall in Tax Law, 18th in the “Law Schools with the Most Grads at Big
Law Firms” category, 29th in International Law, 31st in Intellectual Property Law, and 34th in Health Care Law.
In the Carroll School, the part-time M.B.A. program rose six spots to 17th, while the full-time M.B.A. retained its rank of 46th.
Among business specialty programs, Accounting and Finance both placed ninth, Marketing 12th, Business Analytics 13th, and Management 37th.
In the Morrissey College, Economics ranked 29th, Sociology 42nd, English 44th, History 47th, Psychology 55th, and Political Science 62nd among specialty programs.
With U.S. News shifting its ranking of social work schools to every four years, the BC School of Social Work retained its previous ranking of eighth overall, the highest among BC’s graduate programs.
According to U.S. News, the graduate school rankings are based on “expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students.”
In March, the Clough School of Theology and Ministry and the Theology Department in the Morrissey College placed 13th worldwide in the London-based QS Global Rankings of schools of theology, divinity, and religious studies.
“While no single ranking will ever capture the vibrancy and quality of our many degree programs, this year’s set of assessments underscore the powerful momentum that we’ve been building across Boston College’s nine schools and colleges,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “I am pleased to see this growing recognition of our excellent faculty and programs by peers at the nation’s great universities.”
Trustees Set 2025-26 Tuition
The Board of Trustees has set undergraduate tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year at $72,180, as part of a 3.5 percent increase in tuition, fees, room, and board, bringing the overall annual cost of attendance at Boston College to $91,792.
To help offset the increased costs, the trustees voted to enhance need-based undergraduate financial aid by 7.5 percent, or $13 million, to a total of $190 million. Boston College meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all domestic students, and the average need-based financial aid package is projected to exceed
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Dunn
SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Patricia Delaney
EDITOR Sean Smith
$60,000 in 2025-2026. Overall, more than 67 percent of Boston College undergraduates receive financial aid.
In addition, the Board of Trustees set tuition for graduate programs for the 2025-2026 academic year, including Boston College Law ($72,830), and the full-time M.B.A. program in the Carroll School of Management ($67,680).
Boston College is ranked 52nd in the “Best Value Schools” category among national universities by U.S. News & World Report and 37th overall in the national universities ranking.
—Jack Dunn
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Phil Gloudemans Ed Hayward
Audrey Loyack
Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Caitlin Cunningham Lee Pellegrini
BC Scenes Laetare Sunday
at the 74th annual Boston College Laetare Sunday celebration on March 30 in Conte Forum. Preceding his talk was a Mass, with University President William P. Leahy, S.J., presiding (below).
23 Faculty Earn Promotions
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., has announced that 23 Boston College faculty members have been promoted during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences faculty members promoted to full professor were Ian Biringer and Brian Lehmann (Mathematics), Marjorie Howes (English), David Hopkins (Political Science), Jier Huang (Chemistry), and Brian Robinette (Theology).
Also promoted to full professor were Nan Liu, Gergena Nenkov, and Henrik Hagtvedt of the Carroll School of Management, Natalya Shnitser of Boston College Law School, and Christopher Higgins and
Betty Lai of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.
Morrissey College faculty members promoted to associate professor with tenure were Lucas Coffman (Economics), Xin Jin (Mathematics), Mohammad Ali Kadivar (Sociology), Nam Wook Kim and Hsin Hao Su (Computer Science), Vicki LosickYang (Biology), Joshua Seim (Sociology), Wan Tang (Romance Languages and Literatures), Oliver Wunsch (Art, Art History, and Film), and Brian Zhou (Physics).
Also promoted to associate professor with tenure was Brittney van de Water of the Connell School of Nursing.
—University Communications
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Bill O’Brien, the Gregory P. Barber ’69 and Family Head Coach of Boston College Football (above), spoke
PHOTOS BY GRETCHEN ERTL
Advocacy Is at the Heart of Romero Winner’s Life
BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
Ashley Delgado, a Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences junior who is passionate about housing advocacy and legal empowerment within the Latino community, is the 2025 Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship winner. The Queens, NY, native was presented with the honor by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., at the 33rd annual Romero Scholarship banquet on March 22 in the Yawkey Athletic Center Murray Room.
In recognition of her superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the Hispanic/Latino community and issues both on and off campus, Delgado will receive up to $40,000 toward senior-year tuition, and a $1,000 BC Bookstore gift certificate.
Also recognized were scholarship finalists Emily Moreno, a first-generation student in the Connell School of Nursing, and Kevin Uriarte, a Morrissey College biology major on a pre-med track; the pair won awards of up to $3,000 and $1,000 BC Bookstore gift certificates.
Delgado’s academic pursuits combine a business foundation with a deep interest in public policy and urban development. A double major in political science and communication with a minor in general business, she also completed the Carroll School of Management’s Catalyst Program, a summer initiative for non-management students which provides a broad foundation in the functional areas of management.
“The work that we do is not about [the] spotlight. It is not about self. It’s about something far greater—it’s about restoring what’s been broken, healing what’s been ignored, and uplifting the dignity of those in the world who are often overlooked,” she said in her acceptance speech.
Delgado, who is inspired by Saint
Romero’s call for justice and action, went on to discuss the importance of housing justice, a cause about which she is deeply passionate and a driving force in her advocacy pursuits.
Personal experience with housing instability shaped her commitment to seek community-driven solutions, through involvement in efforts to support and empower Latino families. She offered homeownership and financial literacy education as an intern at a real estate group in her home state, and at a Boston firm, utilized her training to provide financial modeling and market research for investment analyses on mixed-use development.
“Housing justice is not just about units. It’s about people, about families that deserve permanence, not precarity,” said Delgado, who hopes to launch a Latino housing justice initiative focused on helping families find stable housing amid ongoing cycles of housing insecurity.
Delgado also distinguished herself through outreach initiatives to the La-
“The work that we do is not about [the] spotlight. It is not about self. It’s about something far greater—it’s about restoring what’s been broken, healing what’s been ignored, and uplifting the dignity of those in the world who are often overlooked,” said Romero Scholarship winner Ashley Delgado ’26 (shown with her mother Diana Delgado) during her acceptance speech at the annual scholarship banquet.
photo by tim correira
address health disparities in the Latino community—goals inspired as an interpreter for his mother’s medical diagnosis, which highlighted systemic barriers faced by Latino families. He founded the Mentoring & Academic Achievement for Pre-med Students (MAAPS) program to support first-generation AHANA students pursuing medical careers; MAAPS has expanded to support high school students in the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success’s Academy.
Ileana Jiménez García ’87 was honored with the Rev. John A. Dinneen, S.J., Alumni Award, which recognizes a BC alumnus whose work and community service reflects both Saint Romero’s ideals and the late Fr. Dinneen’s commitment, leadership, and service to the Latino community.
tino community on campus. As co-vice president of the AHANA Pre-Law Society, she provides students with resources and mentors them on careers in law. She also co-founded Soy Latina y Qué?, which cultivates sisterhood, resilience, and empowerment among Latina students.
This summer, Delgado looks forward to expanding her advocacy by collaborating on a project in Chile supporting elderly individuals facing mental health challenges. Her goal is to apply her expertise to develop sustainable, community-driven solutions before ultimately pursuing law school.
Delgado’s family attended the banquet and joined in a standing ovation when she received the award.
Moreno, an Undergraduate Research Fellow who has conducted and assisted in research projects related to public health and health disparities, also is pursuing a degree in Global Public Health and the Common Good. She has a passion for improving health outcomes and access for marginalized and underserved populations. Uriarte aspires to be a physician and
A health care and non-profit management professional, she is a leader in promoting health equity, reducing language and literacy barriers in patient care, and building a diverse workforce. Her health care leadership roles include serving as administrative director of the Office for Multicultural Faculty Careers and director of Interpreter Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; she has received multiple hospital awards. A supporter of career development and advancement of women, underrepresented populations, and young professionals, she serves on numerous boards including Tomorrow’s Women Today, which promotes mentoring and leadership development.
BC, where Jiménez García earned a bachelor’s degree before going on to receive an M.B.A. from Northeastern University, is also a focus of her outreach. She served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors with two terms as vice president and championed the development of mentoring programming and the implementation and launch of Eagle Exchange. Now a board associate and a member of the Council for Women of Boston College, she has served on her class Reunion Committees, and as a Romero Scholarship advisor.
Trustee to Be Honored at April 23 Wall Street Dinner
University Trustee René F. Jones, a 1986 Boston College alumnus who is one of the nation’s banking and finance leaders, will be honored at the 35th annual Boston College Wall Street Council Tribute Dinner, which takes place April 23 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Organized by the Wall Street Business Leadership Council—a network of more than 2,000 BC alumni, parents, and friends who work in and represent the New York financial community—the dinner provides financial aid for BC’s Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program, a four-year honors program that combines rigorous coursework, community service, international experience, and internships. The dinner has raised more than $57 million in endowed scholarship funds.
At the event, University President William P. Leahy, S.J., will present the President’s Medal for Excellence to Jones—who
is co-chair of the Boston College Soaring Higher capital campaign—in recognition of his life’s work and contributions to society.
Jones is chairman and chief executive officer of M&T Bank, a diversified, community-focused banking franchise with $200 billion in assets and a network of more than 1,000 branches across the eastern United States. Before being named chairman and CEO in December 2017, he served as chief financial officer from 2005 to 2016, responsible for managing the financial actions of the company. In 2005, he was named to M&T’s Management Group, a group of senior executives responsible for the company’s strategic direction. Jones participates in several organizations to help advance the industry, including as vice chair of the Bank Policy Institute, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, of which he is a director. He is also
active in the community, serving on the boards of Boston College, ACV Auctions, and the Pan-Mass Challenge, as well as on the advisory council of the University at Buffalo.
As one of only a few Black CEOs in the Fortune 500, Jones is passionate about equity of opportunity, both in and outside the company. He serves as a steward of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism and on the capital advisory committee of Aux21, a seed-stage firm investing in the future of global commerce with a focus on companies led by immigrant founders.
A native of Ayer, Mass., Jones received a bachelor of science degree in management science from Boston College. He began his career in accounting at the Boston-based office of Ernst & Young, and later at a private equity firm, and went on to receive a master of business administration degree from the University of Rochester.
—University Communications
University Trustee René F. Jones ’86 will receive the President’s Medal for Excellence.
University Announces Honorary Degree Recipients
Continued from page 1
author, Geoffrey Canada has pursued a mission of helping youth from underresourced communities succeed through learning. Canada founded and serves as board president of the Harlem Children’s Zone, a holistic network of programs focused on increasing the high school and college graduation rates among the many at-risk students in the upper Manhattan neighborhood. Under his leadership, the HCZ became a national model. President Obama created the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative to replicate the HCZ prototype in 20 disadvantaged communities. Born in a South Bronx neighborhood marked by poverty, crime, and violence, Canada was raised by his education-driven mother, who sent him to live with her parents on Long Island for high school. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2020, six years after stepping down as HCZ’s CEO, Canada launched the William Julius Wilson Institute, a national resource that opens pathways to social and economic mobility; its first initiative was a national COVID-19 relief and recovery effort. Canada was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time and among the 50 greatest leaders by Fortune. His books Fist Stick Knife Gun and Reaching Up for Manhood were critically acclaimed.
Salim Daccache, S.J.
Salim Daccache, S.J., has been rector (president) of Saint Joseph University of Beirut in Lebanon since 2012. Founded in 1875, Saint Joseph University (USJ) is the only Jesuit university in the Arab world, with an enrollment of 12,000 students representing all backgrounds and both Christian and Muslim faith traditions.
A native of Lebanon who is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Italian, Fr. Daccache is dedicated to enhancing interreligious understanding and serves as director of the Lebanese Association of Friendship and Islamic-Christian Dialogue. He has been praised for his leadership of USJ in the face of instability caused by ongoing regional conflict, the country’s financial crisis, and the aftermath of a deadly port explosion that damaged USJ’s five campuses in Beirut. In 2022, he was presented with the St. Peter Canisius Medal by the International Association of Jesuit Universities for his extraordinary service to Jesuit higher education.
Prior to joining USJ, Fr. Daccache was the rector of Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour, a Jesuit high school in Lebanon. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from USJ, a master’s degree in theology and philosophy from the Sèvres Institute in Paris, and doctorates in literature and philosophy from Panthéon-Sorbonne University and educational sciences from the University of Strasbourg in France.
Doris Kearns Goodwin
World-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin has penned New York Times best-sellers on numerous United States presidents. Her insightful works provide perspective on and analysis of our country’s leaders, including Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. A sought-after public speaker and media commentator, she often shares historical context on current events.
Goodwin’s No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1995. A partner in Pastimes Productions, she produced the documentary miniseries “Washington,” followed by
Former Sen. Casey to Speak at Law Commencement
Bob Casey Jr., who has dedicated his career to public service, including nearly two decades as a United States senator for Pennsylvania, will be the featured speaker at the Boston College Law School 2025 Commencement, which will be held May 23 in Conte Forum.
As senator, Casey was known for advancing economic opportunity, strengthening health care access, and protecting the rights of American families. During his 18 years in the Senate, he established himself as one of the leading advocates in Congress for children, workers, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Over the course of his three terms in office, Casey built a track record as a uniquely effective legislator, authoring and passing into law 99 pieces of legislation. His ability to work across party lines and focus on practical solutions led to legislative successes that made college campuses safer; required employers to grant reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers; improved cockpit safety on commercial airliners; and enhanced criminal penalties for online stalkers who victimize children.
The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act was the signature achievement for Casey as a generational leader on disability policy. Widely regarded as the most
clean energy development in Pennsylvania. He secured $857 million to complete construction of the Montgomery Lock and Dam, preserving the ability to move goods through southwestern Pennsylvania and stimulating significant job growth in the region.
Prior to his election to the Senate, Casey served two terms as Pennsylvania’s auditor general, compiling a record as a fiscal watchdog who made nursing homes safer, child care more affordable, and government more accountable. During his tenure as state treasurer, the state’s Treasury Department not only earned competitive returns on taxpayer dollars, but also invested those funds in a way that improved the quality of life for Pennsylvania families.
miniseries on Lincoln and the Roosevelts. Her numerous awards include the inaugural American History Book Prize from the New-York Historical Society, and the Gold Medal for biography from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
She most recently received the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence from the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York for her eighth book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s. Her sources for the 2024 volume, being developed by Pastimes and others as a feature film, were the letters, diaries, and other materials amassed by her husband Richard Goodwin, an American writer and presidential advisor who died in 2018. A graduate of Colby College, she earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in government from Harvard University.
Richard G. Henning
Last August, Pope Francis announced that Richard G. Henning, S.T.D. would be the 10th bishop and seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. His installation followed in October, putting Archbishop Henning at the helm of an archdiocese that serves approximately 1.8 million Catholics through nearly 300 parishes.
Archbishop Henning has been active in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, serving on the Doctrine Committee, the Subcommittee for the Church in Latin America, and as the Chair of the Subcommittee for the Translation of the Sacred Scriptures. He is also noted for his work with international priests serving in the U.S.
impactful disability rights legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ABLE Act allows people with disabilities to save for education, housing, and other essential needs in tax-advantaged savings accounts. Today, more than 187,000 people with disabilities hold ABLE accounts totaling more than $2 billion in assets.
Beyond his legislative accomplishments, Casey delivered tens of billions of dollars in federal investments to spur job creation, modernize infrastructure, and incentivize
A 1982 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Casey earned a law degree from Catholic University, returning to Pennsylvania to practice for six years before entering public service.
Casey received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the 2017 Boston College Commencement Exercises, where he spoke to the graduates. He and his wife, Terese, live in Scranton and have four adult daughters and two grandsons.
—Boston College Law School
Prior to coming to Boston, Archbishop Henning served as the Bishop of Providence and as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY, his hometown. He received his training for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY, and was ordained in 1992. He holds a doctorate from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. While a faculty member of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Henning led the Sacred Heart Institute for the ongoing formation of Catholic priests and deacons.
2021 photo by caitlin cunningham
On May 19, graduating students will gather on Linden Lane for the “Final Flight” processional to begin Commencement Exercises.
Bob Casey Jr.
photo by united states senate
CSOM’s Gordon Preparing for a Very Fond Farewell
BY ELLEN SEAWARD SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
For Judy Gordon, excellent teaching and excellent research require a willingness to learn continually and to always seek new ways of analyzing and presenting information. In her nearly half-century of teaching and research at the Boston College Carroll School of Management, that’s exactly what she’s done.
Gordon has gone from assistant professor to professor, to chair of the Management and Organization Department, to associate dean of teaching and learning in the Carroll School.
She’s mentored many students and taught thousands across the doctoral, masters, and undergraduate levels. And she’s made significant contributions in research, focusing on the career development of professional women and the interface between work and family—a research area people weren’t really talking about at the beginning of her BC career.
Reflecting on her time at the Heights as she prepares to retire at the end of the semester, Gordon considered the question: Has she done it all? And is that even possible?
“Well,” she answered, with a smile, “I’ve done career. I’ve done family. I’ve done leadership. I’ve done research. I’ve done teaching. I’ve done a lot of different things, which is ultimately what drives me. I like variety and challenge and to learn.”
Gordon’s reach extends beyond the classroom to the connections and relationships she’s built with faculty and staff members, said Carroll School John and Linda Powers Family Dean Andy Boynton.
“Judy’s impact on the Carroll School has been nothing short of profound. She has been a superb teacher, terrific department chair, an innovative and effective
leader as associate dean, and always a great colleague. Her impact on the entire Carroll School community has been indelible and enduring.”
Growing up, Gordon wasn’t expected to have a career. But she did, traveling from Pittsburgh to Boston to attend Brandeis University. Then she earned a master’s of education degree from Boston University—where she discovered her interest in management and organization—and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.
Along the way, Gordon met her husband, and the couple was very interested in staying in Boston. By then, it was the late 1970s, the BC School of Management was looking for a faculty member for its Organization Studies Department (now Management and Organization), and Gordon was among the first research faculty members hired in the school.
Gordon described it as feeling like a great fit, both then and now.
“BC has always allowed me to grow in ways that I didn’t know I wanted or needed to. It’s always been a strong community, and for me, that turns out to be very important.”
That openness and flexibility helped Gordon discern her research interests in work, women, and families.
“Every year, I met with my dean [John J. Neuhauser, who served as dean from 1977-1999] to talk about my upcoming research plans. One year he said to me, ‘When you find something that really resonates with you, that’s where your research takes off,’” Gordon explained.
“I started thinking about it, and I was interested in talking to women like myself: women who had careers and families and who were trying to juggle everything. Family was, and is, so important to me. To succeed in life is as important to me as
“BC has always allowed me to grow in ways that I didn’t know I wanted or needed to. It’s always been a strong community, and for me, that turns out to be very important.”
achieving in my career.
“My general approach,” said Gordon, “is to do what needs to be done, and do it well.”
It’s a tactic Gordon carries over into her teaching, too. She makes it a point to know her students—their names, who they are, what school they’re in. Perhaps her favorite class to teach is Leadership because, she says, at the end of the day, everyone wants to be a leader—and Gordon knows how to teach each student to succeed as a leader in their own way.
“BC undergraduates are terrific,” she said. “What a privilege it’s been to be here and touch so many people.”
Looking back on 48 years at BC and ahead towards her new chapter, Gordon said she has no regrets. She measures her impact through students who remember
—Judy Gordon
at least a few things she taught, through graduates who have put those lessons to practice in their careers, and through faculty who found the support to become stronger academics and to do their work well.
Thinking quietly for a moment, Gordon added, “I hope I’ve helped people see that being human is part of succeeding. That caring about colleagues and students and people and families are important values to have.”
Now, she’s looking forward to traveling more often, volunteering, and taking courses in art and music—or as she put it, “I’m looking forward to continuing to learn.”
Ellen Seaward is a senior digital content writer in the Office of University Communications
Winston Provostship Gift Also to Support Innovative Programming
“Bob and Judy Winston have been steadfast supporters of our academic programs for decades, and we are all grateful for their generous commitment to our students and faculty,” said Quigley. “The naming of the provostship is a powerful statement of their enduring belief in the important work that we are called to do in the Boston College classroom.”
The Winston Fund is the latest in a long line of gifts from two of BC’s most generous and loyal benefactors, whose philanthropy has endowed the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics in the Carroll School of Management, the directorship of the McMullen Museum of Art, popular programs in University Mission and Ministry, and need-based financial aid at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, among other key initiatives.
Their latest donation includes an additional $2 million from an anonymous challenge fund donor to encourage “significant new investments in the University’s
scholarly enterprise.” The challenge fund has already inspired 45 new faculty endowments, including deanships, professorships, and faculty support funds, benefiting the University and its growing academic and scholarly reputation.
“The Winston Provostship will provide resources to me and my successors to drive programmatic innovation and to invest in core areas of academic strength,” said Quigley. “Helping lead academic affairs at Boston College is a wonderful opportunity, and the Winstons’ endowed support will ensure that future provosts will be able to guide the University to ever greater heights.”
As he prepares for his 65th reunion in June, Winston, whose career as a captain in the United States Army, a mentor, and a successful businessman was defined by ethical leadership, said he hopes his gift will help the University to build character among the impressive students who comprise the BC community today.
“I am most appreciative of my Jesuit education and want to help other Boston College students enjoy a successful career while helping others,” said Winston.
“Paraphrasing Pope Francis in his autobiography Hope, ‘If you discover an outstanding educational system, I encourage you to periodically nurture its roots so that future generations can benefit from it.’ That advice caused me to think how I can best ensure that Boston College’s roots will be nourished for future students and to help BC develop young men and women who will make the right decisions when no one is looking. After much thought and discussion, we have chosen the Provost and Dean of Faculties Fund. Judy and I are pleased to do so and excited and optimistic about Boston College and its future.”
An eminently respected historian and scholar of the 19th-century American city, Quigley joined the BC History Department in 1998 and earned the University’s
Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007. From 2008-2014, he served as dean of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences before being named Provost and Dean of Faculties in 2014.
During his tenure as provost, he cochaired the University’s Strategic Planning Initiative Ever to Excel, which identified academic priorities for the decade and has resulted in the addition of more than 250 new faculty, the launch of new programs in human-centered engineering and public health, the renewal of the University’s Core Curriculum, and the establishment of Messina College, among other successes.
The Winston gift supports Boston College’s Soaring Higher campaign, which seeks to raise critical funding for academic priorities, financial aid, and student life. To date, $1.75 billion has been raised towards the campaign’s $3 billion goal.
photo by caitlin cunningham
Q&A Ukraine and Russia: Where Things Stand
The ongoing Russian war in Ukraine has proven to be one of the most consequential and confusing political events of our time. Russia’s decision to invade was difficult to comprehend, particularly since it clashed with what most experts saw as its strategic objectives, but the widely assumed Russian victory has failed to materialize as Ukrainian fighters have turned back attacks from an infinitely superior force. Around the world, global powers have reacted in remarkable and even historically unprecedented ways. To understand what is happening in Ukraine and why it matters, Chronicle staff writer Phil Gloudemans spoke recently with Professor of the Practice in Political Science Paul T. Christensen, whose interests are Russian domestic politics, particularly social movements and civil society, and globalization and its implications for democracy.
[This article has been edited for space; read the full version at bit.ly/paul-christensenQandA-april2025]
Announcing Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the invasion was intended to halt a “genocide” perpetrated by “the Kyiv regime,” and ultimately, to achieve “the demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine,” allegations that were obviously and transparently false. Why did Russia invade Ukraine?
To be clear from the outset, the decision to invade Ukraine was taken by Putin and his inner circle; this was not a decision by Russia’s political elite in general, much less the people of Russia. The decision was driven by three factors: First, Putin and many Russian elites (and many ordinary Russians, to be fair) never accepted
Ukraine’s independence as legitimate. For strategic and ideological reasons, they feel that Ukraine should be part of Russia. Secondly, Putin had domestic political reasons for invading Ukraine—namely, his fear of having a stable, prosperous, democratic neighbor whose people are Slavic next to his increasingly authoritarian and dysfunctional regime. The third reason involved strategic misperception and bad intelligence; in other words, hubris. Putin overestimated the effectiveness of the Russian military as a fighting force, underestimated Ukraine’s ability to defend its sovereignty, and misread the West’s willingness to support Ukraine militarily and politically.
The consensus pre-invasion assessment was that Russia would easily prevail in a conventional war. But that’s not how the war has played out at all: Ukraine’s defenses have held firmly, despite the ravages of time and severe casualities. How has Ukraine not fallen?
There really was no “consensus” that the war would be quick. Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine took many military and international relations specialists in Moscow by surprise because they had previously pre-
dicted exactly what would happen if Russia tried.
I am not a military specialist, but several factors seem to be at play here. First, despite a major “reform” program in the Russian military under Putin, major organizational and technical problems affected the Russian armed forces. In addition, corruption was a serious issue in the Russian military, as it was (and is) in all parts of the Russian state apparatus.
Secondly, there are basic issues of morale here. Ukrainians are defending their homeland, while Russian troops are tasked with invading a country that has never posed a threat to them. The fact that Russia has been forced to rely on prisoners released from Russian jails and soldiers from North Korea tells us something about why Ukraine has managed to hold on. And let’s not forget the importance of European and American military support.
Given Putin’s increasingly repressive policies during the Ukraine conflict, including silencing independent media outlets and blocking access to social media, do we have any idea what Russians think about the war?
Getting accurate information on public opinion in Russia is difficult, whether concerning the war in Ukraine or other important political, social, or cultural issues. However, there is still one public opinion organization in Russia, the Levada Center, that provides us with some trustworthy insights into what ordinary Russians are thinking. While the majority of Russians still support Putin and the army, upwards of 60 percent of those polled describe the political situation in Russia as “tense” or “critical,” and of those, over half cite the “special military operation” as the reason why.
American policy during most of the conflict has been exceptionally clear: Support the Ukrainians with massive amounts of military assistance while exerting pressure on Putin to withdraw by implementing a range of international economic sanctions. Overall, the United
States has been extremely willing to take aggressive steps to punish Moscow and aid Kyiv’s war effort. How has this changed since President Trump has been in office?
Aside from behaving like a schoolyard bully when meeting [Ukraine President] Zelensky, it’s not clear what Trump really has in mind for Ukraine. First, he freezes weapons deliveries; then he reinstates them. Then he puts pressure on Ukraine over mineral rights, power plants, and on it goes. At this point, all I can say is that right or wrong, the Biden administration was a reliable partner of Ukraine; the Trump administration—in Ukraine and elsewhere—is not.
Trump will likely be confronted soon with a difficult decision: He can begin pushing back on Russia—something he’s appeared reluctant to do so far—or he can make progressively consequential concessions to Putin to meet a reported self-imposed deadline of April 20 to end the combat. Zelensky claimed that Russia is capitalizing on Trump’s desire to deliver a ceasefire as an opportunity to insert its demands into agreements that were ostensibly unconditional. Which way do you think Trump will go? How will this end?
The honest answer is that I do not know how this will end. Given Trump’s personal affinity for Putin and other authoritarian leaders, his evident dislike of Zelensky, and his equally clear belief— completely unwarranted in my view—that he is a master dealmaker, I think there is a very good chance that Trump will sell Ukraine “down the Dnieper,” as it were. That said, even if there is a ceasefire, it will only be a temporary hiatus in what will remain Putin’s long-term strategic plan to change the international order and undermine the West. We should perhaps not be surprised: After all, apart from a few relatively brief historical moments, this has been Russia’s “grand strategy” since at least Catherine the Great.
BC Institute Revives Revered Jesuit Education Journal
The Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies (IAJS) at Boston College has relaunched Jesuit Educational Quarterly (JEQ), the seminal journal for educators, administrators, and scholars of Jesuit education.
Once a touchstone for those committed to the Jesuit educational mission, JEQ was published regularly from 1938 to 1970, functioning both as a repository of knowledge and a dynamic resource for shaping policy, inspiring dialogue, and crafting guidelines that influenced Jesuit educational institutions in the United States and beyond.
After a 55-year absence, IAJS relaunched the JEQ earlier this year as an open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal and a multimedia platform [jesuitsourcesdigital.bc.edu/periodicals/jeq] that explore the Jesuit tradition, educational endeavors, and local contexts in order to document and contribute to the living tradition today. As an online presence, JEQ will publish articles, interviews, and other
material on a continuous basis throughout the year. A print version also will be published quarterly to preserve the historical record of the journal.
“I’m delighted that the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies and Boston College are able to reintroduce contemporary Jesuit education to this important source,” said IAJS Director, University Vice President, and University Secretary Casey C. Beaumier, S.J., who serves as an editor of JEQ “The relaunch of JEQ reestablishes a forum that has as its core concern the flourishing of Jesuit education at all levels.”
Fr. Beaumier’s IAJS colleagues Cristiano Casalini and A. Taiga Guterres M.A./ M.S.W.’22 are JEQ’s editor and managing editor, respectively.
The JEQ will publish interdisciplinary scholarship and research from various fields, such as history, social sciences, education, and philosophy, among others. The journal will explore and magnify the histories and heritage of the Jesuit educational
tradition.
“The revival of the Jesuit Educational Quarterly marks a renewed commitment to preserving and expanding the vital discourse surrounding the educational apostolates of the Society of Jesus,” said Guterres, a doctoral candidate in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development.
Casalini, Professor and Endowed Chair of Jesuit Pedagogy and Educational History at the Lynch School, said it is crucial for the JEQ to root educational practices in primary sources. “These sources, spanning centuries, reflect the enduring work of generations of Jesuit and lay educators across the globe.”
According to the editors, the JEQ will continue its legacy as a platform for rigorous scholarship and engaged discourse, while broadening its scope beyond the traditional distinctions of higher and secondary education.
“The JEQ embraces a holistic vision of Jesuit education, encompassing the diverse
forms of learning and formation integral to the Jesuit mission—both within and beyond the classroom,” said Fr. Beaumier.
The editors hope that educators in Jesuit high schools, colleges, and universities will engage with the journal as they accompany students on their formative journeys.
Added Guterres: “The revival of the JEQ stands as an effort to maintain a vibrant discourse where scholars, stakeholders, and educators can collectively engage with and contribute to the living tradition of Jesuit education. The JEQ seeks to honor its legacy while actively shaping the future of Jesuit education as an inclusive, transformative, and global apostolate.”
Sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, JEQ is published by the Institute of Jesuit Sources, the publishing house of the Jesuit Conference of the United States and Canada.
—University Communications
Paul Christensen
photo by caitlin cunningham
McMullen Provides Venue for Pre-Conference Event
BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER
Fifty graduate students representing 30 institutions across six countries, including Boston College, gathered last month at the McMullen Museum of Art for a daylong educational program featuring workshops, talks, and seminars.
The event was designed to support graduate students in developing methods for teaching the global Middle Ages, according to Professor of Philosophy Eileen Sweeney, who helped to organize the event. The goal, she said, was “to have students emerge with a sense of the different disciplinary perspectives on what ‘global’ and ‘medieval’ can mean in the context of teaching, and come away with concrete ideas for a syllabus and the confidence to teach materials outside their area of specialization.”
BC grad students Casey Madden and Eleanor Forestell (English), and Avner Goldstein and Trevor Wiley (History) were among the participants. Chelsea Parsons (English) served as the administrator for the event, held in advance of the Centennial Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America (MAA), the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of medieval studies. The Centennial Meeting, which drew 850 registrants representing 244 institutions and 23 countries—the MAA’s largest gathering ever—addressed the medieval world from the North Atlantic to the Sea of Japan as well as the histories and possible futures of medieval studies.
During the March 19 program, Professor of History Robin Fleming and Associate Professor of the Practice of Political Science David DiPasquale took part in a plenary roundtable on the challenges and possibilities of teaching the global Middle Ages. Sweeney, DiPasquale, Professor of English Eric Weiskott, Associate Professor
of East Asian Art History Aurelia Campbell, and Assistant Professor of Medieval Art History John Lansdowne also served as co-leaders of various seminars on themes ranging from poetry to law to knowledge.
The educational program was held against the backdrop of the McMullen’s current exhibition, “Wonders of Creation: Art, Science, and Innovation in the Islamic World,” which is anchored by a 13thcentury text by Zakariyya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini describing the wonders of the universe. The graduate students viewed the exhibition at the conclusion of the workshop.
“Qazwini, himself a refugee and a synthesizer of global culture, created a work that traveled the world from the Middle East and Europe through India and China, and was translated into many languages,” said Sweeney. “Our goal for the workshop was to have graduate students begin to think in terms of connections across the world and across cultures, and visiting the ‘Wonders of Creation’ really made concrete the day’s project.”
Sweeney and Weiskott served on the Centennial Meeting’s planning committee; Sweeney was co-chair. Other BC participants at the meeting included Flem-
ing, Assistant Professor of Theology Jason Welle, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Philosophy Kelsey Boor, Professor Emerita of Romance Languages Matilda Bruckner, as well as Parsons and fellow graduate student Johanna Alden.
The Centennial Meeting was hosted by Harvard University in collaboration with BC, Boston University, Brandeis University, Fitchburg State University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stonehill College, Tufts University, and Wellesley College. Among the sponsors were several affiliated with Boston College, including the Office of the Provost, Dean’s Office of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences,
Jobs
The following are among the recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see www.bc.edu/jobs or scan the QR code at right.
Associate Director of Financial Systems, Reporting and Planning
Resident Director
Assistant/Senior Assistant/Associate Director, Undergraduate Admission
Institutional Research Analyst (Sr.)
Assistant Director, Annual Giving Direct Marketing
Program Director and Assistant Program Director, AMDG
Public Safety Dispatcher
Assistant Director of Biology Labs
Temporary Office Pool
Director of Assessment and Accreditation, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
Senior Budget Financial Applications
Analyst
Campus Security Officer
First Cook/Chef
Associate Director, Information Systems & User Experience
McMullen Museum of Art, and Institute for the Liberal Arts. [Full details at sites. harvard.edu/maacentennial2025/]
“I was struck by the sense of community at the Centennial Meeting—mutual recognition, appreciation, and support for all those working in so many different disciplines, areas, and time periods, coming from many different perspectives and experiences. I was thrilled to participate and learn about creative teaching on the Middle Ages being done across the country,” said Sweeney. “I was really moved to see BC’s support of the mission to educate and explore, to expand and help others expand their knowledge and understanding.”
Postdoctoral Fellow, University Counseling
Director, Stewardship & Donor Engagement
Associate Director, Major Capital Projects
Director of Assessment and Accreditation
Athletics Marketing and Fan Engagement Intern
Assistant Registrar, Curriculum and Course Management
Associate Video Production Analyst, Football
Network Systems Engineer
The McMullen Museum of Art hosted a day of events ahead of the Centennial Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America: Left, Associate Professor of the Practice of Political Science David DiPasquale (at left) spoke during a plenary roundtable; right, graduate students from Boston College and other institutions attended workshops and seminars held in the museum.
photos by caitlin cunningham and nancy netzer
Despite Saturday’s cool, rainy weather, some brave—and colorfully dressed—souls turned out to participate in the third annual Boston College Polar Plunge to raise money for Massachusetts Special Olympics.
photos by seho lee ’27
BC Arts
2025 Arts Festival Sets Its Channel to ‘AC TV’
BY ROSANNE PELLEGRINI STAFF WRITER
With the arrival of spring comes the Boston College Arts Festival, which brings together the University and surrounding communities to celebrate campus creativity. The 27th annual festival on April 24-26 will involve some 1,500 faculty, students, staff, and alumni artists, and more than 100 volunteers.
The 2025 festival theme, “AC TV,” is inspired by MTV and the 1990s and early 2000s, before the cable channel transitioned from primarily showing music videos. Chosen by BC Arts Council student staff members, the theme pays tribute to the time before technology was so present in our lives, according to organizers, honoring the creative processes in which BC students engage and showcasing their dedication to creation. Evoking “AC TV” will be portraits of student arts groups dressed in ’90s styles, imitating bands and television programs from that time period, organizers noted.
The festival’s nearly 50 events—running the gamut to include dance, theater, music, literature, exhibits, film, makers, and showcases—are family-friendly and open to the public; most are free of charge. The schedule, subject to change, with event days, times, and locations will be available at bc.edu/artsfestival.
“Every year for over a quarter of a century, the Boston College Arts Festival has showcased the talent and hard work of our student artists,” said BC Arts Council Chair and Professor of Theatre Crystal Tiala. “I can already feel the excitement building. In my mind I can hear the music
wafting through the air across campus. I can see the dancers in costumes, poets reading their works, actors performing, and children at craft tables. It is a privilege every year to come together as a community and celebrate our artistic culture.”
The Main Tent will be located in the Mod Lot behind Robsham Theater Arts Center (RTAC), with a nearby Art Tent and an art gallery exhibition in the theater lobby. Other venues are RTAC’s main stage and Bonn Studio; the Vanderslice Hall Cabaret Room; Gasson Hall; Carney Hall’s Gallery 203; and the Campus Green.
A festival highlight is the Alumni Artist Award, which recognizes a graduate who has demonstrated creativity, innovation, leadership, and vision through contributions to the arts, and serves as a role model to BC student artists. This year’s honoree, Meghan Pressman ’01, joined Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles as managing director/CEO in 2019, the first woman in that position in its more than 55-year history.
Pressman will speak about her personal journey and formation in her field and receive her award on April 24 at The Artists’ Journey: Arts Council Awards Ceremony and Networking Reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. on RTAC’s main stage. During her career, she has held positions at prominent theater and arts organizations, including as managing director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and director of development for Signature Theatre.
BC student and faculty art awards also will be presented for accomplishments in and contributions to the arts. Faculty honorees are Barbara Gawlick, part-time Music Department faculty member, Music
Outreach program and Family Concert series director; and Elizabeth Goizueta, who teaches Hispanic Studies in the Romance Languages and Literatures Department. Gawlick’s commitment to music education advocacy and social justice led her to establish the outreach initiative in 2012, which brings some 25 BC students to serve the community through music lessons and tutoring for hundreds of local schoolchildren. Goizueta has taught interdisciplinary courses on the literature, art, and culture of the Hispanic world. She also curated six groundbreaking McMullen Museum of Art exhibitions, accompanied by scholarly bilingual catalogues which she both contributed to and edited.
Student Award winners are seniors Ethan Behr, Sofia Burke, Tyler Dean, Jack Doppke, Olivia Emerick, Nell Lorimer, Cole Sauder, Isaiah Torres, Stephan Torres, and Angus Williams. The Boston College Symphony Orchestra will receive the Group Award. [Full biographies of all Arts Awards winners available at bc.edu/artsfestival]
Other highlights include the world premiere of “The Odyssey: The Musical” on Friday from 7-8 p.m., in the Cabaret Room. Guest artists, composers, and performers Louis Epstein and Daniel Groll, will workshop new material and perform with BC students, including from Messina College, to present a theatrical review. The
event is part of “The Odyssey: An Artist in Residency with Louis and Dan and the Invisible Band,” which also includes an April 23 panel discussion on “Creative Practices for Inclusive Teaching” and an April 26 Arts Festival performance with the BC Symphony Orchestra. [More on the residency at rb.gy/xv6goo.]
Also in conjunction with the festival, the Theatre Department/RTAC will present Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” on the main stage from April 24 through 27, and the McMullen Museum of Art displays its current exhibition, “Wonders of Creation: Art, Science, and Innovation in the Islamic World.” An Art Walk will showcase experiential works curated and created by Studio Art students and faculty, with displays in the Art Tent and RTAC lobby. As part of EcoPledge’s Green Week, Gallery 203 hosts “Art of the Earth” by Margaret Ryan ’25, and the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society is collaborating on events on the theme of art and sustainability.
Organized by the Arts Council, the BC Arts Festival includes sponsorship from the offices of the President and the Provost and Dean of Faculties, the Arts Council committees, Student Affairs, and the Dean’s Office of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, with support from the Alumni Association, the Boston College Police Department, the Boston College Bookstore, and BC Facilities and grounds crew members.
Honorees at the 2025 BC Arts Festival will include (clockwise from top left) Alumni Artist Award winner Meghan Pressman ’01 and Faculty Artist Award recipients Barbara Gawlick and Elizabeth Goizueta.
photo of gawlick by lee pellegrini
The University’s Arts Festival features music, dance, and other forms of artistic expression presented by students, faculty, and staff.
photos by (clockwise from top) peter julian, caitlin cunningham, and frank curran